PDL Games to Watch: New Member Clashes

02/06/2018, 10:45am EST

By COLTON CORESCHI - colton.coreschi@uslsoccer.com

Eight of 12 new member clubs face off against each other in 2018

With 12 new member clubs set to compete in the PDL in 2017, the league features an exciting mix of existing teams facing off against the newcomers. For eight of those expansion teams, they'll be facing off against their fellow new clubs within their own divisions. Here's a look at all of the new member vs. new member matches in the 2017 regular season.

AHFC Royals vs. Corpus Christi FC

The league’s two newest Texas-based members clash early in the 2018 regular season, facing off twice within the first three matches of the year for the AHFC Royals and within the first four matches for Corpus Christi FC. A relatively short, by Texas standards, three and a half hour jaunt separate the home stadia of the two clubs, setting the stage for a regional rivalry for years to come.

Birmingham Hammers vs. Memphis, TN

Kicking off not only two new franchises in the PDL, but an entirely new division as well, the Birmingham Hammers and a soon-to-be-named Memphis, TN club will compete twice in the newly-formed Deep South Division. The first match serves as both the home- and season-opener for the Hammers, while serving as Memphis, TN second match. The second match will close the regular-season for both clubs, with southern bragging rights on the line to make for a compelling match.

The Mountain Division’s two new member clubs will become familiar foes very quickly in 2018, as they’ll match-up three times over the 14-game regular season. From June 15 to July 6, the clubs will clash twice in Colorado Springs and once in Ogden, Utah as the PDL partner of the USL’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC take on the PDL club of the Utah Youth Soccer Association. With five clubs competing in the Mountain Division, these three matches could go a long way to determining first year success for both clubs.

Santa Cruz Breakers FC vs. SF Glens SC

Another two new foes who will waste no time in getting to know one another in the Southwest Division, the Santa Cruz Breakers FC and SF Glens SC will face off twice in as many weeks in 2018. The two clubs meet on May 5 and May 12, right at the beginning of the season with both matches featuring as the first two in each club’s history. With the two teams separated by just a little over an hour, these two regional foes will likely see significant away crowds at each of their respective home matches.